What's your opinion about caucuses?

[CTLawGuy]

Poll question: What's your opinion about caucuses?

Hello,
I want to put this out on DU and gather some personal opinions about the caucus system and its effect on voting. Please feel free, of course, to make comments.

As you all may or may not know, at most caucuses, you are required to publicly state your choice in some way in order to register a vote. Others may have secret ballots.

****"Caucus" as used in this poll means any caucus where there you MUST publicly declare your choice in order to vote.*****

A caucus with a secret ballot option will be lumped in with primaries for this poll. So, if your caucus has a secret ballot option, declare yourself from a "primary" state.

[CTLawGuy]

1. kick

comments, stories etc. appreciated but of course, not required. :)

[msongs]

2. they are not really truly free - lots of arm twisting and undue pressure instead of secret

ballots where one can truly vote one's choice without threats and bullying.

Msongs

[Peregrine Took]

4. I saw that on C span during the Iowa 2004 caucuses - a bunch of Kerry

people (this was in Dubuque)had some Dean people cowering in a corner of a living room while they stood over them and berated them into changing their votes. Ugh - I would never participate.

[CTLawGuy]

6. do you have any links to articles, video etc.

if so I would appreciate it very much.

[Bluzmann57]

10. I caucused in Iowa in 2004

Not in Dubuque, which is about 75 miles upriver from here, and nobody tried to "browbeat" anybody. There was some persuasion going on, and at our caucus, the Dean supporters were a bit obnoxious, which partially cost them some support, especially among older voters.

[MaineDem]

12. I don't know of anyone here who has been arm-twisted. Ever. n/t

[slick8790]

3. I live in a primary state.

And I think caucuses are far better. It requires you to be open to other opinions of other candidates. You have to participate in an intellectual exchange. I think that's way better for democracy than simply pressing a button.

[bunnies]

5. other.

I live in a primary state and I think that if we switched to a caucus a lot less people would participate in the process. But I attribute this due to the fact that theres significantly more time involved caucus participation. People can spare a few minutes to go out and cast a ballot... but spending hours at an event is a whole different thing. I also do know people who dont like to tell who theyre voting for. I personally dont care who knows... but some people do.

[CTLawGuy]

7. when I was a canvasser in NH

more than a few people told me their decisions were private, though most would tell.

[bunnies]

13. Did you ever have someone get angry that you asked?

Its happened to me... just a couple of times... but some have been offended that I would dare ask something like that.

[CTLawGuy]

14. possibly

but it may have been because it was late in the season and they were sick of calls etc.

I did have one woman who refused to confirm that she was the person who was on my list.

[liberal N proud]

8. A caucus really forces people to get involved in the process

Everyone should participate in one. They are exhilarating for the political junkies and enlightening to the general participant.
More should be done to get people to participate in them however because I see that as the only shortfall of the caucus system.
If you live in a caucus state, please get involved. You have as much chance to persuade someone to vote your way as anyone else.

[NoPasaran]

9. I live in a state that does both

Yes, it's true. In Texas, we apportion the at-large delegates in the primary, then have precinct-level caucuses that night that begin the process of selecting the national delegates who will be chosen at our senate district caucuses at the state convention. I have no problem with caucusing.

[Deja Q]

Meh. White people are okay too.

:shrug:

[On the Road]

11. There's a Popular Opinion that Not Having a Secret Ballot is Unamerican

but as I understand it, the first US presidential election recorded votes publicly and required voters to verbally declared their choice.

The arm-twisting part bothers me a little. I've never experienced it. But these are not elections -- they are the process of the parties' choosing their candidates. Being publicly lobbied from all sides seems more natural in that context than in an election.

[Hippo_Tron]

17. It was pretty much that way until the progressive era

Political machines would basically give immigrant workers jobs in exchange for their votes, which was much easier with no secret ballot.

[TechBear_Seattle]

15. Very difficult to answer. Washington is technically a primary state, but...

The Republicans select only half of their delegates to the GOP national convention based on the results of the primary; the other half is selected by party caucuses. The Democrats ignore the primary entirely and pick all of their delegates by caucus. In short, Washington does not have a primary so much as an event that allows both parties to waste more than seven million dollars of tax-payer money while they masturbate.

None of your options really apply.

[CTLawGuy]

16. kick

NT

[Nutmegger]

18. I like the fact that caucuses are engaging.

I wish I could participate in one! I don't care if people know who I will vote for, but I ran into quite a few who angrily refused to tell me.